Tyler Johns knew he had a fast swamp buggy his last time out at Florida Sports Park, fast enough to challenge season points leader Dan Greenling for the Winter Classic title in February.

Johns didn’t get a chance to prove it. Following a win in the semifinals at the Winter Classic, Johns’s pro-modified buggy Patriot suffered a mechanical problem and couldn’t race in the Big Feature finals against Greenling.

At Saturday’s practice session for the Swamp Buggy Races Bud Cup Championship, the 2018-19 finale on Sunday, Johns showed he has what it takes to do what few have done this season – beat Greenling.

Johns had the fastest lap of the day in the pro-modified challenge, where five drivers take turns racing around the Mile-O-Mud. Patriot’s time of 52.37 seconds around the track was almost two full seconds faster than Greenling’s buggy Roll On (54.25).

“We put it back together from last race. We knew we had a pretty good shot at it then,” said Johns, who installed a new engine after his team was unable to repair the one from February. “The buggy ran real smooth. Motor sounds good. As long as it stays together, we’ll be fine (Sunday).”

Johns won’t be able to catch Greenling in the season-long points standings for the Bud Cup. Johns didn’t compete in January and has just three points this season from heat wins in February. Greenling has 27 points and is looking to win back-to-back Bud Cups.

However, Johns would be thrilled to win the Big Feature on Sunday. It would be his first overall win since January 2018.

Steve Armstrong won $600 by winning the Jeep challenge. He outlasted 14 other competitors total to take the challenge with his Jeep named Evil N Wicked.

New buggy

Saturday marked the debut of a new pro-modified buggy – or make that a newly-named pro-mod.

Driver Reece Gardner took to the track in Trump Head. He renamed his buggy, formerly Air Head, after he said he was scolded by race organizers for making jokes about the border wall on the microphone at the Winter Classic.

Gardner, who was fourth out of five drivers in the pro-mod challenge, painted “TRUMP” over the word “Air” on his buggy. He also put images of President Trump’s face on both sides of the cockpit and painted a mouth with sharp teeth in the front.

The changes are good-natured taunting of the officials who Gardner says censored him.

“I’m a Trump fan,” Gardner said. “And, you know, I put the big mouth on there because I got a big mouth.”

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Reece Gardner, seated in his pro-modified swamp buggy Trump Head, talks with fellow driver Bobby Williams during a practice session Saturday at Florida Sports Park. Gardner, a supporter of President Trump, changed the name of his buggy, formerly called Air Head, after he said he got in trouble from swamp buggy organizers for making jokes about a border wall on the microphone at the last races.(Photo: Adam Fisher/Naples Daily News)

At past swamp buggy events, Gardner has spent time in the press box helping to call races and entertain the fans. However, he was told he can’t be on the microphone this weekend.

“I can’t run my mouth, so I changed the name of my buggy,” Gardner said with a laugh.

New queen

As the swamp buggies wrap up their 70th season on Sunday, the crowd also will say goodbye to someone who’s been a staple of the races recently.

Erica Flesher will take her final mud bath following the Big Feature on Sunday. Flesher, 23, has been the Swamp Buggy Queen the past three years. At the end of each racing weekend the winning driver jumps into the sippy hole – a deeper part of the Mile-O-Mud – holding the queen in his arms.

Traditionally a new queen has been crowned each spring during the swamp buggy pageant. However, after Flesher won the title in 2016, the pageant disbanded and she held the title for three years.

That means Flesher has taken her share of mud baths – Sunday will be her ninth dip into the sippy hole.

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Erica Flesher, 23, has been the Swamp Buggy Queen the past three years (2016-19). Her final time as queen, and final time taking the queen's mud bath at Florida Sports Park, will be at the Bud Cup Finale on Sunday.(Photo: Adam Fisher/Naples Daily News)

“It’s a little shocking,” Flesher said of the plunge into the water. “It’s a lot of mud, a lot of dirt in there. They don’t call it a mud bath for nothing. It’s freezing. You wouldn’t think so, but it’s really cold.”

A 2013 graduate of Barron Collier, Flesher majored in child and youth studies with a double minor in music and art education at FGCU. She was helped in her studies by the scholarship that the pageant awards.

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Dan Greenling, driver of the winning swamp buggy, Roll On, jumps into the water with Swamp Queen Erica Flesher at the conclusion of the Swamp Buggy Races on Sunday, Feb. 3, 2019, at the Florida Sports Park in East Naples. Jon Austria/Naples Daily News

Mark Birkenme waits in his Jeep, Kryptonite, as his fuel is inspected after winning his heat during the Swamp Buggy Race, Sunday, Feb. 3, 2019, at the Florida Sports Park in East Naples. Jon Austria/Naples Daily News

Driver Trevor Adkins maneuvers his Jeep, General Lee, at front, around a turn during the Swamp Buggy Race, Sunday, Feb. 3, 2019, at the Florida Sports Park in East Naples. Jon Austria/Naples Daily News